Floor-scrubbing machine.



G. S. BLAKESLEE.

FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 11. 1914.

1,250,131. Patented Dec. 18,1917.

a suns-snar 1 1M, 1 3 v '1 i By G. S. BLAKESLEE.

FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE.

H APPLICATHJN mgn APR. 11. m4.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 .Z k we 22/502:

G S. BLAKESLEE. v FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE.

APPLICATION mm m1. 1?. 191 4.

Patented 1 8, 1917.

3 SKINS-SHEET 3.

GEORGE s. nnAKns nE, or CHICAGO, rumors.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FLOOR-SCRUBBING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 18, 1917.

Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial No. 832,476.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that. I, (lnonon S. BLAKnsLnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented]certain new and useful. Improvements in {Floor Scrubbing Machines, of which the following is a'specification, rett'erence being had to the accompanying drawings. v

- My invention: relates to apparatus for scrubbing floors, and hasfonits object to provide. certain improvements in the construction. and operation of such machines. SllCll-lIIIPIUVGlTIQIllS relate to the devices for supporting and steering the machine, the manner-of mounting the scrubbing and vvip ing brushes, the manner of supporting the waste water receptacle, and to devices for removing the waste water from the wiping rush and depositing it in such Waste Water receptacle. I accomplish my object as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings and as hereinafter described.

WhatIjregard as new is set forth in the claims. 1

In the drawings, -Figure 1 is a side being removed;

Fig. 2 is a. vertical cross-section on line 2-2 of Fig.1; j. Fig. 3 is an end view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 41s a central, longitudinal, vertical section;

Fig. 5 is a plan View; Fig. 6 is a longitudinal, vertical section of elevation, one pulley one of the rotary brushes ;=and

to the lower margins of the Fig. 7 is a. view of the Water-distributing 'frame of the machine, and IOindicates a plate or platform mounted upon the rear end portions of the side bars 8 and secured thereto in any suitable manner so as to firmly connect said side-bars and also form a platform which supports paratus, as hereinafter descri certain ed. The side-, bars 8 9 are preferably diannel-bars, as

shown in Fig. 2. 11-12 indicate side-plates,

each having an upper flange 13 and a lower flange 14, the upper flanges 13 being secured side-bars 8-4), as shown in Fig. 2. le -16 indicate cornerbrackets secured t0\ the lower, front corners Jarts of the aphaving bearings for the journals of. supporting-rollers 17-18.

1.9--20 indicates caster-Wheels mounted in forked brackets 21-22, respectively, having vertical pivots 23 2-1 Which are ournaled in suitable bearings in a crossbar-25 secured by brackets 26-27 to the rear. end portions of the sidebars 89, as shown in Figs. 1 and The caster-wheel brackets 21-'22. are provided withhorizontally-projecting arms 28, shown in Fig. 1, which are connected by a cross-bar 29 pivoted to said arms 28, as shown in Fig. 4, so that by moving said bar 29 endwise both caster-wheels may be turned in the same direction. 30 indicates a guiding and controlling rodby which the movement of the apparatus over the floor is controlled. Said rod is pivotally C(Jl'lllGCtGtIl at 31 to a pivoted bolt 32 journaled centrally in the bar 25 and having an arm '33 similar to and parallel with the arms 28. The arm 33 is pivoted centrally to the connectingloar 29 as shown at 34 in Fig. 5. The rod 30 is free to swing up and down independently offthe-bolt 32, but when saidrod is swung laterally said bolt is partially rotated, thereby swinging its arm 33 to one side or the or the other, the two caster-Wheels may be correspondingly turned to guidetheapparatus as it is pushed over the floor.

35 indicates a scrubbing-wheel and 36. a

7 other. Thus, by swinging the controlling-bar 30 to one side.

wiping or drying wheel. Said wheels are I alike in construction. formed of a u'niltlpllcitv or other suitable materlal being preferably ofdisks of cotton pressed closel'y together so as to form a brush-like wheel hai 1.

ing its surface sufliciently flexible to enable it to be pressed closely upon. the surface to be'scrubbed and to adapt itself to such surface-somewhat after the manner of a' cylindrical brush. mounted upon a shaft 37 disposed trans-f versely of the machine between the side} plates 11512 and mounted in suitable bear ings carried by said 'side-platcs. in like The scrubbing wlieel 35 is manner, the drying oraviping wheel 36 is" mounted upona shaft 38 which is similarly arranged and mounted. In Fig. 1 I have illustrated one of the the wiping-wheel. As therein shown, the ends ofthe shaft 38 .ivhieh constitute journals for said Wheels, are fitted with hearingblocks '39 Whi(3l'l are mounted in bearings formed by rectangniar brackets40 sc -nred to the side-plates 11 12. Said brackets 40 bearings provided for greater strength at the bearings, the sidein the same way as'the shaft 38.

plates are provided at the rear with bracingbars 41 which, at their upper ends, are secured to the side-liars 8-9 and at their lower ends are seru'red'to the lower flanges 14 of the s'iileplates. 'llaflanges it are cut. away at. the lowerendsof the oi'ieniiigr above inei'itioned. and ieinovable bars I! connect the separated portions oi the flanges ll under such openings. the brackets i l resting upon and being St* l't l to said bars 4'2, as shown in Fig. 1. The bars 12 are made reiiiovable h'ii lllttt the shaft 355 tlfldtllfi bearingblorks 3 in whi h it is inoiinted may be withdrawn when it is necessary to renew th e wheel PM. Siibstantiallv the same construet ion is provided at the front end of the machine tor the shaft. 37 ot' the seriihbing- L roller. except that instead flf lhing braces like the braces ll. I employ braces l3 which extend vertieallv and are bentat their lower ends-and seriireil to the flanges 11, as shown at it in Fig. 1. The shaft 37 is removable These braces 43 also form a secure means of attachment for the corner-brackets 15-16, as shown lll. Fig. l. The laaaring-bloeks 39 of both the st-riil'ihine and dryingwheels are vi' -ldin; l v mounted so that they inay rise and tall slightly. having springs 45 belowthem ltStll'ifl on the bars 42 and springs 46 above them. as shown in Fig. 1. The ten- .sion f the springs may be regulated by sets i'ows l7 '\\'lil('li 'ia-ss'throiigh the upper portions of the bra kets 40, as shown. By this means. the pressure of th'e scrubbing and duvingj wheels upon the floor ina be regulated as lUlHllliUl'lS require. lH-49 indicate pulleys iiio int'ed upon the ends of the shaft 37, and 5! indi ates a pulley ii'ioiinti'd upon one end' of the shaft 38. 51 indicates a twisted belt connecting the pulleys lit- 50. so tlltlt-l-l-!tf shal'ts 37- -38 rotate iii opposite directions.

3'2 inrlir-at(=. ..i' i motor mounted on the platform 10 and secured in any suitable way. 5.; indicates apinioii mounted on the motor haft l. said pinion meshing with a gear mounted on a shaft. 5 which. carries a pallov 57. The latter pulley is i-oiiiieoted by a belt, 53 with the pulley-"45 fllius the motor 5: drives both the scrubbing, and the ilt'XlIifl wheels. but as above explained. said wheels rotate in opposite directions. iiidirates a rlieostat; mounted on the platform 10 for controlling-the o 'irration of the motor 3'2,

i'ndieates a water-tank supported y tl'ie side-bars- S---9 at the forward end portions thereof andliaving connected thereto a transverse perforated pipe 61 arranged adjacont'. to the upper forward portion of the scrubbing-wheel 35 sons to discharge water thereupon. The diseharge ot' the water 15 controlled by a valve 312, as shown in Fig. 1..

(33 indicates a taiik arranged between the scrubbing and wiping wheels. as shown iii Fig. l. Said tank is supported by straps M whiehhook over the side-liars 8--l so that it may readily be removed. as occasion requires, and is open at its upper rear side, as shown at. 65'1" Fig. 4, being provided with a. partition 66 at its rear side extending from the bottom of the tank up to about the center of the drying-wheel and adjacent thereto. The drving-wheel rotatcs in the direrti'on indicated by the arrow in Fig. and the purpose of the tank (,3 is to receive the water removed from the d'ry ting-wheel as sa'idwheel rotates. 66 indicates an overhanging scraper having {bSQmlcylindrical portion which extends longitudinally of the wiping-wheel 36. the edge of said scraper being adapted to bear upon the 1 upper inner portion of such wiping-wheel for scraping the surface thereof and cans- III}: the water removed from it to be discharged into the tank 63.

Said scraper is carried by swlnglng side-plates 67 pivoted h at 68 to the tank 63. Thus the scraper may be swung away from the wheel 36 when (19 sired, but ordinarily it extends in an inelined position over the forward portion of" said wheel and presses by gravity thereupon. 69 indicates a cover-plate fitted over discharging streams of water downward over the-length of the scrubbing-Wheel The motor being started, the scrubbingwheel is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows and the machine pushed over the floor. By. thus rotating the scrub l'i'ing-wheel, the surface treated is thoroiighly cleansed. thesurplus water being thrownback under the machine. At the same time, the drying or wiping wheel 36 1S rotated in the opposite direction, and as it passes over the sin-taco washed. the surplus water is taken up and part of it is thrown into the interior of the scraper 6'6 by centrifugal :it'lNiii, the remainder-being scraped off by said scraper. 'Thtr watertaken up, there-- Fore, is deposited in the tank tith leaving the floor dry. By means ofthe caster-Wheels, the device may-be readily guided. lvhen the tank 63is full, it may be readily lifted. out. and emptied wit-lioi'itf disturbin other, parts of the apparatus. I

.any

- i That which I claim as my invention, and

desire to secure 13 Letters Patent, is,-

1. A floor-scrubbin machine, comprising a frame, transverse y-disposed scrubbing 5 and wiping wheels disposed horizontally under said frame and supported thereby, said wheels being spaced a distance apart,

a water receptacle disposed between said scrubbing and wiping wheels and suspended 13 from sa1d frame, and a, scraper pivotally mounted upon said receptacle and adapted to engage the upper inner portion of said wiping wheel for directing water scraped therefrom into said receptacle.

2. A. fl0or-scrubbing machine, comprising a frame; transversely-disposed scrubbing and wiping wheels disposed horizontally uner 'said frame and supported thereby, said wheels being spaced a distance apart a-water receptacle disposed between said scrubhing and wiping wheels and suspended from said frame, and a scraper having an overly' ing semi cylindrical portion, pivotally mounted upon said receptacle, said semi-- cylindrical portion being adapted to en- 'ga'ge then per inner ortion of said wipmg wheel or directing water scraped there from into said receptacle. i

-3. "A floor-scrubbing machine, comprising a frame, transversely-disposed scrubbing and wiping wheels disposed horizontally un der said frame and supported thereby, said the upper inner portion of said wiping wheel for directing water scraped therefrom into said receptacle, and a cover fitted upon said receptacle and arranged to prevent displacement of said scraper.

GEORGE S. BLAKE'SLEE. Witnesses:

JOHN L. JACKSON, MINNIE A. I'IUNTER. 

